Once Upon A Time
by KiraSakura
Summary: Riku, a fae, has grown up in a human village, swapped at birth with Sora, a human, adopted son of the Fairie Queen. Confused about why he's different, Riku seeks out his past, and learns the truth of what he is. And who he is destined to wed .x. SR .x.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts I, II or CoM. It belongs to Square Enix and Disney.

**Warnings:** All in all, this entire fic is planned to contain bottom!Riku, MPREG, mild violence, plenty of OC's in the first few chapters of Riku's life and maybe the odd insertion of other characters from various other Square Enix games. Most of the actual Kingdom Hearts characters will be Fae.

**Author's Notes:** Well, this is the result of letting me dabble in the Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy fandom for entirely too long (beautiful, angsty place that it is). You get THIS, a fic filled with Fae. Joy! I guess you could count this as my Halloween fic...? Even though I don't even celebrate it... ANYWAYS. I have started to take those funny pills that make somewhat... hyper, and give me pins and needles in my fingers SO you might be able to expect ACTUAL UPDATES FROM ME. GOOD GOD. Because typing makes them go away slightly. xDDD  
FICS PROMISED TO VARIOUS PEOPLE (sorakokiri, matrix, anni, cassie, raos, alyssa) HAVE AN ACTUAL CHANCE OF BEING DONE.  
Chapter two will be spat around in about a week/two weeks time, perhaps.  
BETA'D BY THE EVER AMAZING NAMIKUN.

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Once upon a time, there was a hamlet. This hamlet was known as Parum, and bordered on the edge of a huge forest. The village had always been there, for it guarded the entryway to the Other World, where the Fae were said to dwell. The forest, forever nameless, was the supposed border, and indeed, any human mortal who dared enter and search for the Other World would often find themselves, as they reached the centre of the forest, the very heart, changing. The magic would curl around them, and their skin would harden, their hair grow leaves, and their body grow tall and broad. Only the Fae could safely enter the forest, for it was their magic that kept it alive and well.

It was rumoured that the Fae had once been allied with the humans – that they hadn't slipped from the forest in the heart of night and stolen babies and clothing, or caused the crops to die, or the wells to fill with mud and muck. But then something had happened, forever lost to the pages of history, which made the Fae curse the humans and run to the forest. Humans, in turn, lost much knowledge – the knowledge to heal, to centre their energies. Their once magic was lost, leaving them clumsy and bigoted. Their hair, once bright and glistening, dulled, and their eyes, once able to see the beauty of their world, became clouded. They steadily started to destroy their world, while the Fae watched in disgust and pain, feeling the earth's sadness. Finally, when strange balls of metal flew in the skies and the air grew choked, the Fae decided it would be best to stop everything. And stop it they did. Cities crumbled, towns burned, and the human race dwindled. Their twisted forms of making and fixing were wiped from memory, and their gods and stories faded. Medicines known to heal every illness were lost, and the knowledge of how to make machinery disappeared. The humans were once again forced to worship the earth, and while they spent years learning once again to fix and make and salvage, the Fae healed the sky and air, the earth and it's waters.

The world was healed again, and the Fae retreated back to the forest. The humans gathered in hamlets and villages, and using the metal they had saved from the Destruction, made weapons and 'charms' – talisman soaked in the blood of birds and poisonous herbs. They believed these would keep the Fae from their homes, and while they had no effect, the Fae remained in their forest, only leaving to cause mischief and remind the humans of who made sure they lived.

Our story itself starts in the mentioned hamlet, Parum. The night sky was cloudy and dark, the small village tense and holding it's breath. A babe was to born, and the mother had gone into labour over thirteen hours ago. The women of the tiny town were gathered in the mother's house, helping her ease her child out, while the men paced outside. Anguished whimpers and breathy cries tore through the air, reminding the men of how painful birthing was. They bit their lips and pulled their cloaks around their shoulders tighter, waiting for the tell tale wail of a babe – or the tell tale wail of their wives and daughters when the mother died.

An hour later, when the clouds had cleared and the moon, full and large, cast light upon the huddle of stone houses and the fields of wheat and corn and other vegetables, a loud wail was heard. The men all jumped up and clapped the father of the mother on the shoulder, crying, "A grandson, a grandson!"

The grandfather smiled weakly, and watched as the door to the house opened and his wife appeared. Her hair was grey and her hands frail, but in them she held a squirming, bloody babe, who opened his bright blue eyes and let out another scream.

---Five months later---

"Kairi, are you sure this is a good idea?"

The little red headed girl shifted, and held her precious bundle closer to her chest. She glanced over to her sister, a twin in every look, save her soft blonde hair, and muttered, "Yes, Naminé, it's fine. Besides, these disgusting humans need a lesson. They came into the forest yesterday and killed a baby deer. So, we'll kill one of their babies and it'll be fair"

Naminé shook her head and looked back out past the thick tree trunks and towards the village. It was late afternoon, and the sun was setting. The humans were scurrying about, pulling up water from their wells and chatting to their neighbours. The human males were checking the charms, and the females were hurrying their children inside. It was the very epitome of peace, and Naminé felt another flash of unsureness dance through her chest. She and her sister had been waiting on the outskirts of the forest, hidden in the shadows of the trees, for a while. It was starting to get colder, and shivering a little Naminé pulled her shawl around her shoulders tighter. She bit her bottom lip, and turned back to Kairi. Her sister was beautiful, and would no doubt grow more beautiful as her body matured. Dressed in flowing red robes, Kairi's little red wings twitched from the cold.

As if in response to the sudden chill, the bundle in Kairi's arms made a little snuffling sound, mewling. Kairi held it closer, and the two pixies continued to watch the humans prepare for night. As the sky darkened they grew bolder, creeping with the shadows. Naminé lagged behind, still wary, while Kairi spirited over to the house where Aerith had mentioned the new human babe to be. Naminé scurried over to her sister, and they ducked beneath a window. It was completely dark now, the light of the windows shining out. They listened intently, heard the mother laughing and the grandparents talking, but they couldn't hear a father. Kairi shrugged, and settled down to wait, allowing Naminé to curl up against her.

When midnight came, the lights finally shut off, and silence fell. "Now," Kairi whispered, and the two girls stood. Alert to any noises or movement, they went to the door. Ignoring the charm set into the wood, they pushed it open, Naminé casting a gentle flow of magic over its hinges so it made no noise. Locks were non-existent, the humans trusting their charms to keep the Fae out.

The girls slipped inside with ease, and shut the door behind them. The room they had entered seemed to be some sort of sitting room, with a stone floor covered in rugs and walls covered in warm drapes. A table and a set of chairs were in one corner, a cooking area in the other. A hallway led to what they presumed was the bathing room and bedrooms, and creeping along carefully, they checked each room. They took in the grandparents laying in their bed, the grandfather snoring loudly and the grandmother mumbling, and both girls shot each other a disgusted look. Carefully shutting the door, they checked the next room, and smiled. Another bed was in there, and beside it, a cradle.

The pixies entered, and while Naminé kept watch over the mother – who was in the bed alone, much to her confusion – Kairi tiptoed over to the cradle. Peeking inside, she smiled. A baby with large blue eyes and a tuft of brown hair stared up at her, wriggling. As if sensing her plans, it wrinkled its little nose, and twisted the sheets around his body more. Giggling softly, Kairi placed her bundle next to the babe, watching as it turned to look at it. Blue eyes widened, and suddenly it let out a loud wail, which, in turn, caused the bundle to start crying, too.

"Kairi!" Naminé hissed, and Kairi hastily grabbed the babe, just as the mother awoke. The door to the room banged open, and the two pixies were caught in the glare of the wooden lamp the grandparents had lit. The five stared at each other in shock for a few moments, before the mother cried out, "My baby!"

The twins jumped, just as the grandfather noticed Naminé's little blue wings. "Fae!" He screamed, dropping the lamp and rushing forward. Naminé cast a spell in panic that caused the stones of the floor to twist and warp around his foot, causing him to fall. A sickening crack announced that his ankle was probably broken, and the two girls hastily rushed to the window. Breaking it open with a burst of magic they jumped out, while the mother flung back the covers with a shriek. She rushed to the window, and leaning out, her hands cutting on the broken glass, cried, "Please, no!"

Naminé stopped, standing between two other homes. She turned to look back at the crying mother, and feeling a burst of pity said, "His name is Riku!" before disappearing into the shadows.

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The next morning, the entire hamlet was at the house of the mother, trying to make the stone that had remained around the grandfather's foot move. But no matter what they tried, nothing happened, and they resigned themselves to the fact that they would probably have to cut the foot off entirely. Just as they were going to fetch the large butchers knife, the stone suddenly twirled back into place, and the grandmother gave a thankful sob as her husband was lifted gingerly and taken to his own room, where the village healer stood in wait. The room soon emptied, leaving the mother, Kumeko, alone. She stood by the window, sobbing quietly, her long brown hair in tangles and her hands covered in dried blood. Her thoughts focused solely on her lost son, her last link to her dead husband, and she considered for a moment if it would better to take her life. Indeed, she made up her mind, and picking up a large shard of glass she held it to her throat.

About to slice the skin, she paused when she heard a soft whimper from the cradle. Blinking, she placed the shard back on the windowsill, and stepped over the cradle, hoping insanely that the pixie children from last night had left her son. She took in the bundle of cloths that was wriggling and mewling, and reaching out with shaking hands, gently pushed away the rags. She stepped back in shock, though, when instead of brown hair and blue eyes, she was confronted with the sight of soft, silvery hair and aquamarine eyes. The Fae child blinked up at her, and gave a little sob. Tears started to fall from it's pretty little eyes, and suddenly, without thinking, Kumeko picked up the child and held it to her chest, cooing. The babe stopped crying, leaving Kumeko to study it. The child looked to be the same age as her lost son, and pursing her lips the woman gently unwrapped the cloths, taking in how soft they felt. She placed the cloth back in the cradle, and soon she was holding a wriggling baby boy. He looked healthy, and had rosy tint to his little cheeks. Turning him around, Kumeko checked for wings, but found his back was bare.

She turned him back around, and wondered briefly what the child's name was. She blinked, suddenly remembering last night, when the blonde girl had called out, saying someone's name was Riku. Staring at the child in her hands, Kumeko cocked her head to one side and murmured, "Is that your name? Riku?"

As if in response, the boy mewled, and Kumeko wondered how it was that a helpless baby had come to be the centre of a horrible trick. She considered killing him, but stopped. It couldn't possibly be the baby's fault her son was gone, after all. And what of the boy's mother? How was she feeling, knowing her son was lost? Sighing, Kumeko held the babe to her chest, and made up her mind. She hastily rewrapped the babe, and hurried from her room. The family room was filled with the women of the village, her grandfather's room the men. Biting her bottom lip, she returned to her room. Placing Riku on the bed, she grabbed her cloak and slipped on her boots, and plucking him back up she climbed carefully out the window. As soon as she got outside she held him closer, shivering from the chill morning air. She then hurried towards the edge of the village, where the Wise Woman lived. Kumeko hadn't seen her when her father had been stuck, so chances were she was still inside her one room home.

Kumeko had always slightly feared the Wise Woman, for while the crone was older than anyone else in the village, she was still one of the more beautiful. At night the parents whispered to their children how she kept that beauty, drinking the blood of children and sucking out their souls. The Wise Woman got a lot of trouble from this, but she never did anything bad in return. She healed the greatest sicknesses, and tended to the women's ailments. She had been the one to first hold Kumeko's lost son, had been the one to name him.

Kumeko came to a stop outside the tiny house. With no windows and only one door, the interior promised to be dark. She raised her hand to knock, only to have the Wise Woman open her door. Kumeko stared in slight shock at her, while the Wise Woman merely stood aside, and snapped, "It's cold – not good for the child. Come in, for Heaven's sake!"

Kumeko nodded and stepped inside, taking in the surroundings. A fireplace was the centre point of the room, the walls covered in shelves, which in turn held jars and bottles of herbs and various plants. A large pile of cushions and blankets in one corner suggested a bed, the whole room dimly lit by the fireplace and several candles, and a rarity – a metal lamp. The Wise Woman made a motion for Kumeko to sit, and the mother did as she was told, taking a seat on the rugs that covered the stone floor. The Wise Woman settled back down onto her bed, and Kumeko was once again struck by how beautiful she was. Her hair reached her waist, and hung in gentle curls the colour of moonlight. Large, intelligent eyes stared at her, a soft golden brown colour. Skin devoid of wrinkles and a body devoid of thinness or fat, the Wise Woman was dressed in flowing robes of grey and white, and she smelled of sweet herbs.

"Well, hand him over," The Wise Woman snapped again, holding out her hands. "I can't see what type of Fae he is and what he'll need to eat to live if you keep him to yourself!"

"O-oh... um, yes" Kumeko handed the boy over, and the Wise Woman took him from her gently. Pulling back the cloths, she held him up once again, eyes narrowing as she took in his soft silvery hair and beautiful eyes. She nodded to herself, and running a finger over her belly muttered something. Kumeko watched, shocked, as a soft pinkish light appeared over his belly, fading as suddenly as it appeared. The Wise Woman handed him back to Kumeko, and standing up said, "I think the Fae might be kicking themselves at the moment," as she inspected her shelves, plucking several jars and a mortar and pestle down from them. Settling herself back on her bed, and started to measure out petals and plants, while answering Kumeko's unspoken question.

"He's a Birther – has a womb, he does. Male Fae who can get pregnant are a rarity, and are often some form of nobility. You got yourself a Fairie – the son of the Queen of Faes, maybe. Heaven knows. The point is, you'll want to keep him alive and happy. If you let him grow with joy, the Queen will probably reward you. If not, she'll probably kill you."

The Wise Woman added another handful of purple-blue petals to the mortar, before reaching over to Riku. She ran a hand over his head gently, before plucking out one of his hairs with surprising force. This caused him to start wailing again, and dropping the hair into the mortar the Wise Woman than held out her fingers to the baby's cheek. Kumeko watched as she collected several tears, adding them to the mix, before the Wise Woman made a notion towards Kumeko herself. "He'll need to drink from you – your milk will strengthen his body, his soul, and his womb. For this, though, you will need to apply this paste I am making to your nipple. I can't do that lest I have three drops of your blood, though." Here, the Wise Woman slipped a hand under one of the pillows and drew out a knife, before handing it to Kumeko, who was forced to lay Riku down on one of the cushions next to the Wise Woman, "Go ahead," The Wise Woman told her.

Nodding, Kumeko pricked her index finger, and holding it out over the mortar allowed three drops to fall before taking her hand back. Popping her finger into her mouth, Kumeko listened as the Wise Woman continued to babble.

"Of course, the problem you face is this: if you keep the babe, the villagers will kill him, and maybe you, I don't know. You're a widow, after all, and they probably look upon you as a nuisance. Thus, we have a problem. Kill the child, and bring the Fae's wrath upon our people, or keep the child, and bring our people's wrath upon ourselves"

The Wise Woman stopped her grinding, and looked up at Kumeko. "I have watched you grow, child. I have seen the compassion you hold, the gentleness inside of you. The pixies that came last night were fortunate to have selected your home, your son to swap. Perhaps you had Calamity and Peace in your home. Calamity wanted pain, whilst Peace wanted happiness. No doubt she knew you would care for the babe... or rather, you merely had a set of mischievous children dancing about, and it was all Fate's doing. But I do believe you will make the right choice"

The Wise Woman sat back, and looked at Kumeko with her golden brown eyes. "Changelings are said to bring torment... but often times, they are the doctors, the elders, the Wise Women and the Wise Men"

Kumeko blinked in shock. "Wait, you...!"

"Mmm. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But whatever I am, I will help you look after him, as the Fae will do for your son. So, that leaves a question. What will _you_ do?"

Kumeko stared at the Wise Woman, and then at Riku. She touched the bracelet around her wrist, a gift from her husband, before looking up. "Wise Woman – Renn – please, will you help me protect the babe?"

Renn smiled.

"Gladly."


End file.
